Last 3 senators may be proclaimed today

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may proclaim today the last three winning candidates to complete the 12 slots in the Senate.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body will reconvene today as the National Board of Canvassers to complete the counting and proclamation of the last three winning senatorial candidates.

Jimenez said there are still about three million uncanvassed votes, which will determine who will be the other three Senate members.

Jimenez, however, said it may not be necessary to wait for all the three million uncanvassed votes before they can proclaim the last three winners.

“If the remaining uncanvassed votes would no longer be significant to affect the final count, then we will start proclaiming... probably by afternoon since the canvassing is continuing throughout the day,” he said.

Only seven out of the 103 provincial Certificates of Canvass or 6.8 percent remained uncanvassed as of Saturday night.

Although the National Board of Canvassers did not convene yesterday, Jimenez said the Comelec still received transmission results from the field.

“So hopefully, we can get enough numbers to proclaim senators-elect by Monday afternoon,” Jimenez said.

Based on the last updated tally of the canvassing board, those occupying the last three slots were former senator Sergio Osmeña III (independent) with 10,996,061 votes; Sen. Lito Lapid (Lakas-Kampi) with 10,327,121 votes, and Rep. Teofisto Guingona III (Liberal Party) with 9,686,352 votes.

In the 13th slot is sectoral Rep. Risa Hontiveros (LP) with 8,581,125 votes, while in 14th is Rep. Ruffy Biazon (LP) with 8,148,685 votes.

Last Saturday, the National Board of Canvassers proclaimed the first nine winning senators who will serve until 2016 after gaining an insurmountable number of votes in the first four days of canvassing.